PSYA01H3 Chapter 1: Psychology Notes Chapter 1.docx
Document Summary
Cannot prove, rather it can be supported or rejected. These rules are regularly broken: i. e. an astrologer and horoscopes make very general predictions, if you stretched the interpretations of events a bit you could find evidence for them. Good hypothesis are stated in precise terms: scientists are eager to test hypotheses while astrologists rather you take their word for it. Any scientific theory can be falsifiable thus science is self-correcting where bad ideas do not last long. Theories are not the same as opinions/beliefs. All theories are not equally plausible, there are good and not-so-good theories. Biological influences involve: brain structures and chemicals, hormones, external substances (drugs) Psychological influences involve: memories, emotions and personalities and how these factors shape our response to situations. Sociocultural influences involve: family, peers, ethnicity and culture: scientific literacy- ability to understand, analyze and apply scientific information. Gathering knowledge (what do we know about a phenomenon?) Explaining it in scientific terms (how can science explain it?)
